By Gordon Byrd
Aug 4, 2021
TALLAHASSEE Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commissioners spent a good part of Wednesday talking about how to battle future red tide outbreaks, and how to help local communities that have to clean up what the algae blooms leave behind.
FWC chair Rodney Barreto says drones could be used to monitor waters for outbreaks. They could also play a role in cleanup efforts, expanding on the use of sheriff s office helicopters.
“Let the state fund it and let’s get the best technology available. It’s going to be cheaper than a helicopter, Barreto said.
Gil McRae, who heads the FWC s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, says another way to prepare is to put a funding source in place for local governments. McRae says they re the only choice for dealing with fish kill cleanup, because they re already in the waste removal business. More than 600 tons of dead fish have been hauled away from beaches in and near Tampa Bay in this su
FWC meets in-person in Bonita Springs for first time since pandemic began
Published: August 4, 2021 5:36 PM EDT
Updated: August 4, 2021 7:24 PM EDT
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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission met for the first time in person on Wednesday since the pandemic began. With the precedence that wildlife and the environment take in the Sunshine State, the agency has quite a bit on its plate.
From helping Florida panthers bounce back to tracking red tide in the Gulf, FWC and its partners stay busy.
“Between FWC and the Water Management District, we’ve taken 7,000 pythons out of the Everglades. That’s a lot of pythons. And that’s only in the last couple of years,” said Chauncey Goss, a member of the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board.
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Addressing Manatee Woes Could Take Time In Florida Waters wuft.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wuft.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.